


Today is Friday?

by awkwardedgeworth



Series: For Greater Good [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M, Yule Ball AU, and Time Loop AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-21
Updated: 2020-02-21
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:14:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22825435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/awkwardedgeworth/pseuds/awkwardedgeworth
Summary: "The reason why I'm stuck in a time loop is probably to save Akaashi," He tells the rocks sagely.What if you're wrong, the rock sits stonily, inner thoughts supplied by Bokuto's anxiety that's starting to simmer on his skin."Well if I'm wrong, then good thing this day replays itself," He says aloud.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, background Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru
Series: For Greater Good [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1642990
Comments: 15
Kudos: 139





	Today is Friday?

**Author's Note:**

> several things:  
> 1) **giving you a major warning right now that a major character dies repeatedly throughout this groundhog day phenomena, and there's mentions of minor deaths related to our main couple, so if you're triggered, please click the back button now**
> 
> 2) ik google translate isn't the most accurate...but i really am terrible at conjugating verbs. if the sentences look off, it's probably because i changed 'vous' to 'tu' because the conversation held are between friends, which has a more informal feel
> 
> 3) same thing actually goes to 'anata' and 'anta'. i had wanted oikawa to talk more informally throughout, but when i plugged it into google translate using 'anta', some of the sentences now held a new meaning so you'll be seeing oikawa flipping between 'anta' and 'anata'. apologies.
> 
> 4) this is unbeta'd but i tried to clean it up
> 
> i missed writing a hogwarts au so here you go! happy reading

"— _Back those Bludger, boys, and chuck that Quaffle here! There's no team looks as fine flying in their Quidditch gear. A world cup waits for you at the end of the Quidditch year!—_ "

Celestina Warbeck is screeching into his ears, and Bokuto falls off his bed.

"Let's go! Let's go! Early bird catches the worm, who then catches the Snitch!" The madman by his feet crows as Bokuto blearily opens one eye with great difficulty to see James Potter's too chipper expression beam like the sun itself shines out of his pores.

Iwaizumi, poking his head out of his curtain next to Bokuto's bed as he shuffles up, eyes still firmly closed and head turned in the general direction of James's voice, "Is having _another_ practice the day of the Ball a necessary? _Do you think practicing the day before the game is necessary?_ "

"— _There's no retreat! Let's turn up the heat! Don't accept defeat! Time to now complete—"_

"Terrible manners, you have, Iwaizumi. I told you, we _must slaughter_ Slytherin tomorrow and I know they have something up their sleeves!—"

A new voice croaks, curtains wiggling, "James, it's five in the morning. We've been doing this for _four_ days straight—"

James has both hands on his hip, looking something like an irate mother, "Freddie, I am appalled at your attitude! I'm telling your father!"

Bokuto really wonders how everyone manages to say James's last name like a curse as Iwaizumi scrubs his face with his hand, removing the crumbly stuff from his eyes, "For Merlin's sake, _Potter_ —"

"HEY!" A shoe flies out of the last four poster bed in their dormitory, belonging to an irate Davidson, "Shut the wireless off, I'm sleeping! _Nox!_ "

The silver light from James's wand extinguishes. Bokuto gives up on the idea of sleep and resigns himself on stripping his sweats off blindly, shivering when the frosty air nips at his exposed skin. James tries to cheer Davidson on attending a "relaxing" morning lap on his broom around the pitch where they can watch the sun rise. 

"Over my dead body," Davidson growls, shutting his curtains with a ferocious yank. James wilts slightly but beams as he turns to see a reluctant Fred Weasley the second, Bokuto and Iwaizumi dressed in matching red sweaters, brooms in hand.

They file out of the seventh year dorms as quietly as possible, tip toeing to the portrait hole and shivering as they make their way down to the Great Hall. They do not question the bizarre behaviour of James Potter as he twirls and flounces with exaggerated movements to the frosted, fifteen foot evergreen trees lining the hallway, sprouting things like how tall the trees are.

"Does he ever sleep?" Bokuto mumbles the rhetorical, eyes half closed. His nose smashes into the door of the Great Hall and he takes a few steps back and to the left, shuffling through the gap James had pushed as several candles light up at the end of the Gryffindor table. It hurts though, and his eyes water.

Iwaizumi grunts, slamming himself down on the bench as the plates before them offer muffins, toast, jams, butter, various juices and most importantly, _coffee_.

Bokuto starts pouring it into their mugs for the exception of James, _as if he needs more caffeine_ , and gives him some apple juice instead. He blinks, rubs his eyes and clears his throat.

"Mushroom and cheese omelette," He says to his plate, loud and clear. By the time Iwaizumi had chugged half his mug, his plate had a half moon of omelette steaming his face with a sprig of green garnishing the top. He digs in ravenously.

"—getting enough complex carbs?" James mothers them all, tossing a bran muffin to their foreheads as it bounces off. Iwaizumi looks like he doesn't get paid enough to deal with it this early in the morning, and Fred Weasley gives his cousin a murderous glare. Bokuto, however, catches the muffin mid-air, still hungry. "I want my team in the best shape with the game being tomorrow, as we all know—"

"Could have sworn it's yesterday," Iwaizumi grumbles, dusting his hair of crumbs.

"—that means eating complex carbs like this delicious and nutritious bran muffin, simple carbs like this excellent toast, some protein like Bokuto is munching on and some juice for those vitamins! Wait! Do you think the Kitchens know what a protein shake is?" James stops in his barrage of instructions, tapping his chin as the rest of the Gryffindor team file in with various stages of sleepiness, smoothing their hair into slick ponytails as James turns to them with a gleam in his eyes.

"Ah! Wendy! I have to talk to you about your approach when the chasers come towards you—"

Wendy Chen-Taylor flicks her wand as James continues to ramble on, mouth opening and closing with nothing coming out. Bokuto stares. 

Then he starts laughing as James turns purple, gesturing with his arms as he points to Wendy's wand and his throat, "Nice!"

"It's too early," She groans, sliding onto the bench and swatting James's arms away. She briefly turns to him, cross, "You'll get your voice back when we hit the pitch!"

James glares sulkily at her but sits back down, brooding over his juice as Iwaizumi puts down his mug, which is empty. Bokuto takes this as a positive sign and turns towards him, knowing that he's in shape to answer questions now.

"Sure you want to go stag tonight?" Bokuto drops his voice slightly as James turns to one of the Beaters, pleading with puppy eyes as the girls giggle and shake their heads. "I know a few sevenths and sixths that wouldn't mind a last minute partner."

Iwaizumi rolls his eyes, scraping his butter knife across his toast. His bran muffin sits untouched on a separate plate, "It's just a Ball."

"We haven't had one like this before."

"I'm not fussed," Iwaizumi folds his toast into halves, then quarters, then stuffs the entire thing into his mouth. His jaw works through the bread as his fingers peel apart a boiled egg. He, Bokuto realizes, is all about efficiency these days, "Befides, teh Prefecs haf to mah suh tah teh Bahl runfs smoofly."

Bokuto has a mind to tell Iwaizumi that he's worn his team sweater backwards and inside out with the tag sticking out below his chin, and that he probably should be napping instead of patrolling the corridors at night and herding first years away from the Whomping Willow. He opens his mouth to do so in fact, when a hand shoves the abandoned bran muffin into Iwaizumi's mouth.

Everyone at the table pauses.

Iwaizumi doesn't blink. He turns his head slightly to his right to find James berating him silently, forming the words " _complex carbs_ " and " _important for your health!_ ".

Bokuto scrubs his face with his hands and groans when Iwaizumi gets to his feet, sprinting after James as he pelts out of the Great Hall at full speed, brooms zooming along.

"POTTER COME BACK HERE!" A loud thud. "POTTER! I'LL DOCK OFF POINTS!"

"I sometimes wonder why I even bother," Wendy says dispassionately, drizzling honey over her quick oats, procuring a knife with a wave of her wand and plucking a banana from the fruit bowl. She arranges the bananas around the perimeter of her bowl, dashing a bit of cinnamon on her oats before digging in. "My spare time shouldn't be dedicated to the deranged Captain of the team and how he can't keep away from trouble."

"Hear hear," Bokuto sighs, looking down at his watch and thinking about the long day ahead, "Do you think we can sneak back to the dorms and go back to bed? I only got a spicy three hours."

"POTTER!" Iwaizumi yowls, dashing back into the Great Hall as James sprints towards them with his wand in hand, mouth stretched in a gleeful grin. Bokuto is delighted to find Iwaizumi's hair a shocking shade of platinum blond, and doesn't contain his wheezing laughter, "YOU LITTLE SHIT! TEN POINTS FROM GRYFFINDOR!"

"That's not going to do anything," Phoebe Abara remarks, sipping some tea. She doesn't eat breakfast. Bokuto tries to push the toast basket to her but she declines with a polite smile.

"You'll be hungry after warm ups, Phee."

"I can't, the Ball is tonight."

Bokuto purses his lips, "Well okay, but you have to grab something before your first class."

"Yes, sir I will— HANDS OFF POTTER!" Phoebe roars as James tugs her arm out of her socket, using her as a human shield as Iwaizumi screeches to a halt to avoid slamming into their Beater. Iwaizumi takes in a very deep breath, possibly to start shouting or cursing, when James grabs the arm of their _other_ Beater, Rowan Lang, and starts running.

"JAMES POTTER!"

"—UTTER ARSE POTTER! YOU GIGANTIC BABY LET ME GO!—"

"—RESIGNATION FROM THE TEAM!—"

Wendy groans, "For once in my life, I just want to have a normal morning. What have I done this week to ever deserve this?"

Bokuto grins at her, affectionate. He'll know in a few hours that he'll be echoing that same sentence over and over again.

* * *

By the time they finish morning practice, the Gryffindor team somehow not murdering their Captain, Iwaizumi and Bokuto are sprinting at full tilt towards Charms, bread in mouth as they tip toe to their seats with Flitwick glaring at them as he resumes his lecture.

They're doing a review of the spells they've learnt so far, so Bokuto peers out from the window to see the fifth year Slytherin and Ravenclaw Care Of Magical Creatures class, Tsukishima's very blond head visible as they crowd around the meadow. He tries not to laugh as he sneaks a peek at Iwaizumi, who's hair is still unfortunately still blond and much lighter than Tsukishima's.

Bokuto waves his wand, " _Finite Incantatem_."

Iwaizumi sighs, "I've tried it already."

"What about _Finite_?"

"Nada."

"Color Change Charm?"

Iwaizumi raises a brow, "You think he just changed my hair color? It's not a jinx? Or hex?"

Bokuto raises his own eyebrows in return, "Try it. The next idea I have is to make all your hair fall off and grow it all back, assuming he didn't mess with the actual hair cells to forever turn your hair blond."

" _Colovaria_ ," Iwaizumi mutters. The blond roots darken immediately, saturating his hair into his natural black, "Oh thank the gods, now I don't have to murder our Captain."

"Now you know that if you ever need to dye your hair that blond is a very flattering colour. Platinum is a good shade."

Iwaizumi snorts. Too loudly.

Flitwick glares at them for disrupting his class and assigns them an extra six inches to their essay on turning water to volatiles. Iwaizumi nods woodenly through Flitwick's very disappointed lecture about Iwaizumi being _Head Boy_ and how they're _both in their seventh year!_ but Bokuto knows he's in trouble, and the moment the bell rings after their double Charms, he takes off for the Great Hall, giving himself several corridors between him and the infamous fury of the Head Boy.

"Jesus!" Kuroo coughs water into his sleeve as Bokuto forcibly shimmies his way between him and Yaku, the latter wiggling and making some space with a few abrasive words. "Bokuto, just ask before you make me choke!"

"I know CPR and chest compressions," Bokuto pours some pumpkin juice for himself, watching Kuroo trying to prop a textbook on an upturned goblet. "Hide me would you? Iwaizumi is on a rampage."

"I heard he was a blond during practice," Yaku passes a plate of vegetables over. Bokuto scrutinizes the brussel sprouts before allowing them to join his plate. While breakfast had been mostly plain and full of comfort food, the tables now are struggling to accommodate several new dishes.

Bokuto catches a glimpse of a certain shade of blue robes and feels his face heat, ducking down by reflex as a pair of Beauxbaton students walk past, two textbooks in hand as they head to the other end of the Slytherin table closest to the Head Table, arguing in multiple languages.

" _Je te supplie de cesser d'agir par tu-m—_ " The breath taking one starts hissing, sounding angelic even though he doesn't look pleased.

" _Ne me donne pas d'attitude pour—_ " The angrier, taller one contorts his face, looking visibly upset, "— _Anta no kazoku no namae o hikitsuide iru toki, anata wa hanashi o suru koto ga dekimasen_ _!_ "

Bokuto stiffens, understand the last part to be his mother tongue before he puts something together. 

He remembered flipping through the Prophet yesterday with Oikawa Tooru's picture preening and smirking with the caption "Youngest Seeker in History signs with Puerto Rican Team" and being insanely baffled at the early recruitment before Kuroo flung a grape at his head and broke his concentration during lunch.

So the taller of the two was the famous Quidditch player, he blinks, flickering his gaze towards where they have seated themselves and turned arguing into an art, with faces that betray no expression asides from polite tight-lipped smiles as they pass each other plates for lunch. 

There's a crowd of girls from all houses sighing dreamily after Oikawa. Bokuto spots Rowan and Phoebe peeking glances in that direction, giggling among themselves as they watch from the Gryffindor table.

However, he's more interested in the shorter one, the one spooning tartiflette from a glossy brown bowl onto his plate. With beautiful, poreless skin that hinted of leftover summer freckles on his nose, wavy black hair that sweeps above a set of dark brown eyes, a mischievous curl of his mouth and (from what the rumor mills of Hogwarts are saying) the possibility of being part Veela.

The Beauxbaton Champion, Akaashi.

"Be still my heart," Kuroo croons in his ear, causing Bokuto to yelp. "' _The curves along your head, your ears, your hair. For all of this, each hand, each finger, each lip, each breath—_ '"

"Fuck off," Bokuto groans, "I wasn't looking at him!"

"Good, because I don't need you catching feelings for our competitors, I'm joking of course," Kuroo cackles, because when has Kuroo had anything other than a thorn on Bokuto's existence? "Does this mean you also like the Durmstrang Champion, what's his name, Yaku? Atabekwhatsit."

"Otabek Altin," Bokuto can literally hear Yaku's eyes roll from here, "I know you know his name, Kuroo, you shook his hand."

"Details, we immortals do not concern ourselves much to silly little details like that."

Yaku sighs.

"How come you didn't ask him to the Ball?" A new voice asks.

Bokuto looks up to see the Head Girl drop her book bag across of him, pulling a dinner bun from a basket and spooning some creamy vegetable soup from metal pot into her bowl.

"Bokuto is showing a rare side of cowardice," Kuroo gleefully tells Kiyoko, abandoning his Ancient Runes textbook and stuffing it into his bag. Iwaizumi enters the hall and shoots Bokuto the foulest look he's ever seen before sitting next to a jumpy halfblood sixth year by the name of Kindaichi over at the Gryffindor table.

Kiyoko gives Bokuto a steady look, like she's scanning him, "Courage is difficult, I can relate."

"Hah," Bokuto smugly says. Kuroo grumps, tucking into his pasta. 

"Anyway, I thought I was having hallucinations. Was Iwaizumi not blond earlier this morning?"

"It's Potter."

"Valid reason. He was always a strange one," Kuroo quirks one side of his mouth up. Two girls nearby in Slytherin ties giggle to each other at the smirk, "Will Gryffindor be okay for the match tomorrow? We wouldn't want to go too easy since the crowds love a good game."

Bokuto hoots, "Brave words! Bring it on!"

"Bring it on? We're bringing it on!"

"Oho?!"

"Oho!!"

"Why do we sit near them?" Bokuto catches Yaku hissing to Kiyoko, who smiles into her soup and shrugs at Yaku.

"Look normal, Pretty Boy is walking over!"

Bokuto immediately acts, propping his chin in his hand to look as casual and effortless as possible when Kuroo sharply yanks his elbow out.

He lands face first in his brussel sprouts, hearing Kuroo heaving with laughter as Kiyoko berates his behaviour as an example to the nearby first years walking by. 

* * *

"Now I know we are all excited about the Ball," Slughorn bleats, trying to control the amount of teenage hormones in the room fussing about bobby pins and Windsor knots, "But really! Please pay attention to your potions, this could come up in your N.E.W.T.s! I will be very heartbroken if I receive comments about how my N.E.W.T. students otherwise passed splendidly for the exception of the Oculus Potion..."

"Did you hear that, you're breaking Slughorn's heart."

Bokuto doesn't even look up from his textbook, feverishly adding more stewed mandrakes. His concoction turns a solid green and he breathes a sigh of relief, waving his wand to cast a Stasis Charm as he prepares to add ground unicorn horn, re-measuring it on his scale just in case, "And you broke my heart this afternoon when you left me looking like the biggest idiot, with brussel sprouts sticking to my forehead."

"You have a very dashing forehead," Kuroo purrs, hair definitely not Bertie-Bott's-Vomit-Jellybean yellow-green from Bokuto's Color Change Charm, "I thought a bit of green would highlight it."

Bokuto shoots his childhood friend a scowl at the same time a yelp goes across the room. A cloud of pink smoke clears and a very red Hufflepuff mumbles an apology for interrupting the class. 

Slughorn sighs, looking like he's close to tears, "Well, let's just...pack up everybody. There's only twenty minutes left, off you go then, please don't raise your voices in the corridors."

Bokuto vanishes his entire cauldron, shrinks it into his bag and escapes the dungeons, fighting a yawn. 

They have two hours to get ready for the Ball which starts at seven. Bokuto and Iwaizumi are relaxing by the cushy armchairs by the fireplace after forty minutes, watching the Gryffindor girls run around the common room, yelling at James Potter to get his nose out of their way unless he can whip up a spare vial of Sleekeazy's.

"Hey," Iwaizumi leans towards him with something like concern over his face, "You look like you're a blink away from asleep. Drink this."

Bokuto doesn't see what he's drinking, but he takes a sip and coughs, feeling heat spread across his the delicate skin of his throat as Iwaizumi's cool fingers pluck the flagon out of his hands— hold on. A flagon?

"Is that some Wideye Potion?!" Bokuto hisses, casting _Muffliato_ around them. He opens and closes his mouth a few more times, tasting his tongue, "I taste honey and peppermint. Is this mixed with some Invigoration Draught too?"

Iwaizumi swipes the flagon —which flickers weakly with a Notice-Me-Not Charm— to take a sip and tucks it into his dress robes, "Someone needs to keep Kuroo and Potter from doing something stupid and I'm the best thing they've got. So, I need this, thank you very much."

He's still opening and closing his mouth, trying to discern the other telltale flavors in the concoction, tasting something like Redbull, "I don't think self-medicating is a good answer. There'll be other Prefects there attending, right? And Kiyoko is also there."

"They're planning to skive off. And Kiyoko has a date, she asked me for this favor a long time ago so I have to patrol."

"You can't expect to do it alone!"

A shrug.

This is the dumbest thing Bokuto has heard and he's heard a lot of dumb things from the eternal void that is Kuroo Tetsurou's mouth, "You're a student!! They can't expect one person to keep everyone in line!"

Iwaizumi checks the watch on his wrist, a hand coming up to run into his hair before he pauses, dropping it back down, "I need to go now, anyway, it's just one night."

"We have a game tomorrow!" Bokuto tries to look for James Potter, who he knows can probably convince McGonagall or someone to reinforce the other Prefects to do their jobs, "You need to sleep early and get up early!"

Iwaizumi pats him on the shoulder, looking too old with his bangs swept back, and too serious. He slinks out of the common room and Bokuto grits his teeth, making a note to find a teacher while he waits for Kuroo.

He nearly bowls over a pair of fourth years hovering outside the Fat Lady, clearly having some first date jitters as they both resemble tomatoes.

"Oh I'm sorry!" Bokuto quickly plucks the little blond boy up and waves his wand to clean whatever dirt has landed on his dress robes. He makes sure the boy is alright before casting a strong Warming Charm over himself as he goes down to the main floor.

The main floor is busy. Bokuto squeezes through the males dressed in mostly blacks, dark blues, greys or deep greens while the girls have very pretty dresses and hair curled to the nines, finding a small alcove to sit in.

"What's got your panties in a twist?" Kuroo announces his presence, one eyebrow nearing his hairline. Bokuto spares one brain cell to blink at Kuroo, who looks like he lost a fight with his hair. But at least he's cancelled the charm Bokuto had on his hair from lunch, the strands are back to their inky color.

Bokuto sighs and hops down from the alcove, "I need to talk to a teacher. Turns out every Prefect is going to ignore their duties and just let Iwaizumi patrol the entire thing himself."

Kuroo, who happens to be a Prefect himself though he's excused from his patrol duties tonight, frowns deeply, "Honestly? I'm going to talk to McGonagall, she's looking for me anyway. Come with?"

"Might as well," Bokuto sighs, walking towards the greying witch. She's shooing everyone through the doors and lining up the Champions when she catches sight of them.

"Oh _there_ you are, Kuroo! Is Mr Bokuto your date? Yes?" McGonagall easily swings Bokuto and Kuroo into place, right behind the Beauxbaton Champion and his date.

"Sorry, Headmistress, but a quick word?"

McGonagall looks between them, glasses flashing, "Please don't tell me you're planning to dive-bomb the Great Hall as a finale and end it with fireworks like you two did during the end of your fifth year?"

"Nothing of the sort," Kuroo grins at her. McGonagall purses her lips when she catches how Kuroo's hair is springing back up despite the amount of potions Bokuto can see has saturated the roots. "I heard that all the other Prefects are planning to be lax regarding their patrol of the Ball tonight, and the Head Boy and Girl are the only ones who will be patrolling. It's unfair to both Iwaizumi and Shimizu—"

"What?" She barks, nostrils flaring, "I am going to give the Prefects a firm word. Stay there, Mr Kuroo!" McGonagall barks again, straightening her tartan shawl and nodding to a tiny Flitwick that Bokuto hadn't seen since the Durmstrang and Beauxbaton couple were blocking him.

They watch McGonagall seek out all the Prefects in the crowd one by one, like she's tagged them with a tracing charm. They can't hear her from where they stand, being so far away, but McGonagall nearly brings one Prefect to tears.

"Well, we'll be starting in a few," Flitwick squeaks from their waist, "Mr Kuroo, if you need me to fix your hair—"

"Yes please, Professor."

"—by all means please say so!" Flitwick flicks his wand and Bokuto watches as Kuroo's unruly strands flatten into a somewhat windswept, disarrayed look that didn't look too messy. 

"Filius! The doors!"

Flitwick scurries out of the way. Bokuto feels slightly nauseous and takes a deep breath, steeling a smile as a brass fanfare from inside the Great Hall starts. They start marching through the doors while Slughorn introduces the Champions, starting with Durmstrang and ending with Kuroo's smile as he wholeheartedly waves to their classmates. 

The fanfare dies to a smooth waltz and they're circling around each other. McGonagall looks down her nose at Bokuto, who is sweating buckets. 

"Relax," Kuroo smoothly says as they start twirling faster and faster to the music. Bokuto hears some gasps and oohs of envy as Akaashi's dress robes flare out behind him, the black pattern on his back shimmering like the night sky.

"I _am_ relaxed," Bokuto forces a grin. Kuroo throws his head back and laughs, releasing their hands as they being promenading, the tempo slowing down as they both face each other again, bowing in time with the other Champions and their partners as the First Dance concludes, applause thunderous.

"Oh my god," Bokuto immediately escapes the dance floor and goes to one of the small standing tables at the edges of the room as other couples begin to dance, Kuroo steps behind him, "Oh god that was _traumatic_."

"Good job, Bo," Kuroo grins as he hands him a sparkling flute of juice with a raspberry on the bottom. "Consider your duties as the Champion's date done."

Bokuto tries to subtly look left and right for Akaashi, but there are black dress robes all around them and his hair isn't exactly as prominent as say, a Malfoy (Iwaizumi) blond or Weasley red. However, Akaashi was wearing a set of black robes reflecting the night sky, with constellations winking in and out of the fabric, so perhaps that's how Bokuto should be looking.

"I'm looking for stars..."

"And you're cut off," Kuroo jokes, pretending to grab his flute away as Bokuto rolls his eyes. "You want a dance with him?"

Bokuto avoids eye contact, knowing his cheeks are red, "Is that a crime?"

Kuroo's voice is soft, "No. No it isn't, of course not." Bokuto looks to his best friend of sixteen years and watches him scan the crowd, "I'll help you look for him too."

Bokuto hesitates, "Actually, maybe Iwaizumi first. I want to make sure he knows that he can chill."

"Right," Kuroo slaps his forehead, "Okay, Iwaizumi first then I'll get you your midnight kiss from Akaashi."

Bokuto swats Kuroo's arm, who cackles.

He sees James Potter coaxing a shy Rose Weasley onto the dance floor as other members of the Potter and Weasley clan hover nearby, chatting amongst themselves. He spots Kiyoko fanning herself with a hand as she smiles and talks to a 6th year Gryffindor in a gold dress, then next to her and nearly half hidden behind a large evergreen, Iwaizumi is leaning against one of the walls like a wallflower, scanning the crowd as he tries not to fall asleep standing.

"Aha!" He points.

He and Kuroo bring their food and head over.

"I took care of your Prefect problem," Kuroo says as a greeting, a few heads turning his way as Iwaizumi frowns at him in confusion. Several girls giggle to themselves and Bokuto catches bits of whether Kuroo would be willing to dance with them if they can get him away from his friends. "I told McGonagall."

"Ah...I really appreciate it," Iwaizumi says, smiling slightly. He sways and Bokuto tugs at him, wondering if they can retire to bed without dinner. 

"Let's leave and eat dinner in the Kitchens. And then sleep," He says to Iwaizumi.

Iwaizumi hesitates, looking at a still chatting Kiyoko tucking her hair behind her ear as Yachi nibbles on a slice of apple slathered with chestnut jam.

"Sleep is important," Kuroo insists, looming over them both. 

Tiredness or hunger eventually won him in the end, and Bokuto tells Kuroo not to make trouble for himself and grabs instructions from Asahi on how to get into the Kitchens.

"No funny business from you!" Bokuto teases Kuroo as he leaves him, waving.

Kuroo grins wolfishly, being swallowed by a crowd of his Slytherin classmates and Kiyoko.

When they're steps away from the Great Hall, Iwaizumi stops them. Bokuto bounces off of him and blinks when Iwaizumi turns around.

"You don't want to dance with Akaashi?"

Dancing with the Beauxbaton Champion for one round would be really great...but there were more important things. Bokuto claps both hands on Iwaizumi's shoulder to spin him around, pushing forward, "Dances shmances, I'd rather rest my feet for tomorrow, wouldn't you?"

"I can't argue with that logic, for once," Iwaizumi teases. "I'm going to slap James if he tries to do this for the next upcoming games, I can't handle five straight days of early dawn practices."

"I'm having trouble being excited myself for quidditch under our Spartan leader," Bokuto lets out a yawn, "It's like yes I want the Cup but I also like sleeping."

"Right! And we have homework, and I have patrols," Iwaizumi grimaces, "I want the game to be finished as quickly as possible. Then I'm drinking some Dreamless Sleep until Monday morning comes around."

He and Iwaizumi inhale their dinner, drink two cups of hot chocolate served by two very eager house elves and retire to bed, flinging their dress robes off and sharing a quick pillow talk about their offence before Iwaizumi starts snoring mid-sentence.

Bokuto follows afterwards, lulled by good food, hot chocolate before bed and warmth.

He's rudely awaken in the middle of a good dream by James's voice.

"Iwaizumi! _Iwaizumi!_ "

Bokuto sticks his head out, blinking at the muggle watch on his nightstand. It's 11:57 and Iwaizumi is out like a baby, a foot sticking out of his curtains as his light snores serenades them, "James, he's really tired and we have a game in a few hours, maybe—"

James is paler than the ghosts that roam the castle, "M-McGonagall wants all the Prefects up— it's terrible, game is cancelled!"

"James?" Bokuto sits up, now concerned. "What's terrible? Why's the game cancelled?"

"The Beauxbaton Champion!" James takes a deep breath, "H-He fell off the Astronomy Tower and broke his neck."

Bokuto stares at him, and the world seem to tunnel slightly, "I was with my dad— H-He wanted to chat in McGonagall's office, had a Fire call and everything. Then a Patronus came a-and we ran outside to f-find him. On the ground. Not moving." James goes to Iwaizumi's bed to shake him, but Bokuto feels a rising nausea and is forced to close his eyes, losing orientation of what's up and down as James's voice become a shrill, background noise.

When he opens his eyes, he looks in puzzlement at the dark ceiling of his four poster bed before Celestina Warbeck shrills in his ear.

"— _Back those Bludger, boys, and chuck that Quaffle here! There's no team looks as fine flying in their Quidditch gear. A world cup waits for you at the end of the Quidditch year!—_ "

"What the actual fuck?" Bokuto jumps to his feet, staring at the wireless perched on the nightstand between his and Iwaizumi's bed, the red digits showing 05:01 in red, blocky typing. He hastily looks down and nearly falls back on his bed when he's dressed not in the sweats he wore to bed two hours ago, but _the same pair of sweats he wore the night before—_

"Let's go! Let's go! Early bird catches the worm, who then catches the Snitch!"

* * *

He's not sure what's happening, but Bokuto feels like he's seconds away from having a meltdown.

He runs into the same door he ran into yesterday (today?), bending and clutching his nose painfully as he shuffles to the left and slips in after James. He looks left and right suspiciously for Kuroo, knowing that he's a big fan of pranks on game days. It wouldn't be out of character since the match was today, if today is Saturday and not the Friday that he'd lived through already.

"The match is today right?" He cuts off James in the middle of his tirade about complex carbs.

James frowns, "No? It's tomorrow, today is Friday. The Yule Ball is tonight."

Bokuto feels himself inch closer to madness, pasting a tight smile and nodding as James starts mothering him, asking if he's okay and how many hours of sleep he's gotten the night before.

"Technically two since you woke me up at 11:57."

"I didn't wake you up last night," James says slowly. At this point, Iwaizumi starts to look concerned, lowering his half-full mug of coffee. Bokuto's thoughts are spiraling out of control, "Maybe you dreamt that I woke you up?"

Three sets of footsteps break his thoughts as the rest of the Gryffindor team shuffle in, yawning with their ponytails swishing behind them.

"Ah! Wendy! I have to talk to you about your approach when the chasers come towards you—"

Bokuto watches as Wendy performs a _Silencio_ , knowing that in a few minutes Iwaizumi will be chasing James around with his hair a shocking platinum shade if his memory serves him correctly.

He looks down at his empty plate, trying to breathe calmly. The sequences are playing out exactly like yesterday's. Davidson had toss his shoes in their direction earlier, James danced when he saw the evergreens in the hallway and Wendy is currently arguing with a sulky James about when he can receive his voice back. 

And everyone is convinced today is Friday when it should be _Saturday_.

He needs to calm down. _He needs to calm down right now—_

"POTTER COME BACK HERE!" Bokuto sharply looks up from his empty plate to see Iwaizumi spit out a bran muffin, getting to his feet and chasing their Captain out of the Great Hall as he yells more, voice echoing.

"I sometimes wonder why I even bother," Wendy says, saying exactly the same thing she did yesterday as Bokuto is torn between wanting to burst into tears and laughing until they've carted him off to St. Mungo's, "My spare time shouldn't be dedicated to the deranged Captain of the team and how he can't keep away from trouble."

Bokuto giggles, his voice sounding very painful and high-pitched to his ears.

"POTTER!" Iwaizumi sprints back in, hair blond, "YOU LITTLE SHIT! TEN POINTS FROM GRYFFINDOR!"

"That's not going to do anything," Phoebe says, sipping some tea. Bokuto knows what should come next, but he's not sure if he can handle it.

With trembling hands, he pushes the toast basket towards her, "You'll be hungry after warm ups, Phee."

"I can't, the Ball is tonight."

Bokuto stares at her, feeling like a piece of his soul is shattering. Phoebe stares back at him, exchanging glances with Wendy and Rowan who have stopped chewing as they regard his new, strange behaviour, "Um, Bokuto, are you— HANDS OFF POTTER!"

"JAMES POTTER! UNHAND ME RIGHT THIS INSTANT OR I WILL HAND IN—"

Maybe this is a very bad cream. Maybe Kuroo cursed him to have a very vivid, very realistic and lucid dream. Or maybe they're all on this very elaborate prank of Kuroo's. Pranks aren't uncommon, he's had his fair share of getting shoved around when he was first on the team back in his fourth year as a starting Chaser with Iwaizumi.

"—UTTER ARSE POTTER! YOU GIGANTIC BABY LET ME GO!—"

He tries to take a breath.

"—RESIGNATION FROM THE TEAM!—" 

"For once in my life, I just want to have a normal morning," Wendy laments, "What have I done this week to ever deserve this?"

He needs to get away.

"I don't feel so good," He mumbles weakly, making his way out of the Great Hall.

Fred sounds concerned, "Bokuto?" He hears a set of quick footsteps before Fred appears in front of him with a frown, "You look pale, should sleep it off. I can tell James."

Bokuto is already nodding before Fred prods even further, "Thanks."

"Sleep well!" Wendy calls out.

He turns around to give them a weak smile, heading up the staircases as his broom zooms beside him. He decides to take a detour and wander around the Charms hallway first, walking around and around until he's gotten his breathing under control. 

The Fat Lady, when he steps onto the Gryffindor landing, isn't amused when he's forced to wake her up again.

When he finishes crawling through, the Common Room is as they've left this morning, dark with absolutely no soul. Stars twinkle outside the windows that overlook the grounds, and far away, he can see six figures zooming around the pitch, taking their time going through loops, dives and aerial barrels.

Davidson is sleeping when he enters his dormitory room, if his light snores are anything to go by. Bokuto sits down on his bed, still messy as it's too early for the school elves to be awake and scuffs off his shoes, drawing the curtains around his beds shut and setting a timer on his wand.

He tries to fall asleep, hoping that it was all a dream.

* * *

Iwaizumi is muttering counter-courses and charms to turn his hair back to black as Bokuto sits in Charms with what felt like his soul halfway out of his body, ready to depart to the other side. He doesn't even listen to Flitwick, his parchment blank as he stares at the words on the board, his mind like a little newborn sea turtle trying to get into the sea as waves relentlessly beat it back to the sands.

Iwaizumi had asked if he was feeling better when he stepped into Charms, spitting a piece of toast out of his mouth and flicking his wand to organize his blank parchment and Quick Quotes Quill to transcribe Flitwick's lecture. Bokuto had given him a tremulous smile.

He feels mildly ill. Nauseous. Short of breath. Shaky.

He tries breathing exercises. They work, but then he feel like he's going to drown again, constantly going back to deep breathing until he can't handle seeing Iwaizumi fuss with his hair anymore.

"Try the Colour Change Charm," He weakly advises.

Iwaizumi gives him a very doubtful look, mutters the incantation and looks pleased when he peers at his mirror to find his hair color restored.

"Thanks, now I don't have to murder our Captain."

Bokuto gives a high-pitched, nervous laugh, slapping a hand to his mouth as Flitwick glares at them.

When they're released for lunch, he goes to the Infirmary to where Madam Pomfrey is reading a novel in her office. He knocks on her ajar door, watching her chin flick up as her eyes assess him.

"Mr Bokuto?" She gets to her feet, "You look unwell."

He swallows, "I was wondering if I could get some Calming Draught?" He would make it himself, but his hands are shaking too much and he's always been rubbish at Potions that he wouldn't trust anything he brew himself. "I'm rather...jittery."

Her eyes scans his face, the severe line of her mouth softening, "Of course, this year must be especially difficult for you," She goes to the cupboard in front of her office, waves her wand to dispel the enchantments around it and pulls out a glass bottle with a stopper, bringing it to her desk and measuring some out into a goblet she conjured out of a pile of parchment. "Here you go."

He mumbles a thanks, swallowing the minty aftertaste and getting to his feet as Pomfrey sends to bottle back to the cupboard. She walks him to the entrance of the Hospital Wing and he walks with a lighter step, the cloud of anxiety weighing his shoulders magically lifted for now.

He blinks at the stone floors, heartbeat steady as he calmly goes over what he needs to do.

"Come back if you're still feeling jittery, we can talk about what's on your mind and whether you would benefit from getting smaller doses throughout the weeks upcoming," She pats his elbows and he nods, thanking her again and heading down. He catches her mumbling something about the Triwizard Tournament, nervous attacks and an unfortunate timing.

When he gets to the Great Hall, he sees Iwaizumi sitting next to Kindaichi, heads close together. Kuroo and the other Slytherins are also there, laughing among themselves as he debates where to sit and think. Maybe sitting at the lake would be better, there'll be significant less bodies and more fresh air.

He's about to turn on his heels when two sets of voices float their way to his ears.

_"—As-tu serieusement accepté cet accord avec Porto Rico?"_ Akaashi Keiji's voice is harsh. Bokuto swallows, his knowledge for French is rudimentary at best, and he has the vocabulary of a three year old, but he can make a good guess of what they're fighting about.

Oikawa's face is pinched, eyebrows pulling in the middle as his expression darkens, _"Je n'ai pas le choix comme toi!"_

_"_ _Moi? Pourquoi?!"_

_"_ _Merde, oh allez, Akaashi, aucun de nous n'est comme toi!_ _Tu ne voudrais pas—"_ His expression contorts, Oikawa looks frustrated, " _Anta no tame ni watashi ni sore o tsuzura shinaide."_

Both boys come up short when they realize Bokuto is staring at them, coming to a stop several paces away.

"Pardon our behaviour," Oikawa Tooru stiffly grinds out, his vowels sound contorted, a slight accent weighing them. He dips his chin at Bokuto and goes around him, smelling like bergamot and something dark as his blue robes billow around his lean figure.

"You're Kuroo Tetsurou's friend."

Bokuto stares after Oikawa before he realizes the statement is directed at him.

He spins around to see Akaashi's neutral expression, looking less like a murderous Veela (if the rumors are true) and more like a prince out of a book. He takes a step closer and Bokuto feels the edges of a Warming Charm around his person as Akaashi fiddles with the textbook against his elbow.

"I-I am," Bokuto tries not to blink too much, at a loss for words and momentarily forgetting his problem.

Akaashi holds eye contact with him before bending his waist slightly in a bow, curling his arm around himself and lowering his gaze as his mouth curls upward. Bokuto's heart clenches as he smoothly comes up again, like he bows to everyone he meets.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Akaashi."

Bokuto offers his right hand, "Bokuto. Bokuto Koutarou."

"A pleasure," Akaashi looks like he might kiss Bokuto's knuckles and sweep him off his feet, but his fingers, while long and delicate, grips with a surprising strength. "My mother was- is, still a big fan of your father's. She saw him briefly in the 1990 World Cup."

"Oh!" That wasn't something he expects. Bokuto feels himself puff up with pride, "I'll let him know then! Does she play too?"

"Back when she was in Mahoutokoro, yes," Akaashi says, turning his body so they're facing the Great Hall together. Bokuto stares, was this an implication that they were to walk into lunch and eat together? "Would you join us?"

He's torn.

On one hand he has a massive crush the size of Jupiter on Akaashi, but he did take the Calming Draught for a reason. 

"Oh," Bokuto waves his hand around, avoiding Akaashi's eyes, "I...I have somewhere else to be."

"Perhaps tomorrow then, after the game."

"You know about the Gryffindor-Slytherin match?" Bokuto hoots in surprise.

Akaashi gives him a small smile, "I play too, as does Oikawa," His mouth twists into a wary smile, "You heard us right?"

Bokuto doesn't know how to play dumb, so he slowly nods, "Not too well since you were both speaking French, but I caught the gist."

Akaashi nods, "Oikawa is a dear friend," He watches his friend spoon something into his plate, one medium blue robe against the numerous blacks around him, "Well, I'll stop bothering you, have a good lunch. Perhaps we'll see each other tonight."

Bokuto blushes, mumbling a goodbye as Akaashi heads into the Great Hall without any other hesitation. Bokuto robotically makes his way to the Kitchens, watching as several wrapped sandwiches and a thermos are handed to him by eager house elves before he finds himself on the banks of the lake.

He casts a Warming Charm on himself and drops onto a boulder, sighing heavily and swallowing two sandwiches whole to shut his stomach up before sipping tea from the thermos. 

He'd lived through Friday already. He went to practice, made Flitwick angry, saw Slughorn tear up in Double Potions, danced with Kuroo, made sure Iwaizumi went to bed early and got woken up three minutes from midnight to news that Akaashi Keiji had met his untimely demise from James.

Everyone he asked told him today is Friday. He even asked the portraits, and they have a better grip of time and space in their paint and canvas universe.

He drinks some tea, takes a few more bites, pondering.

"The reason why I'm stuck in a time loop is probably because of one thing," He tells the rocks sagely, recalling the adventure novels and tomes he's read, "To save Akaashi."

It's a big stretch, he doesn't even know if that's the reason why he's been sent back in a time loop, but he didn't think the other things he did (making Flitwick angry, watching Slughorn blubber, dance around with Kuroo) was as problematic as the fact that Akaashi Keiji had fallen off the Astronomy Tower and died.

_What if you're wrong_ , the rock sits stonily, inner thoughts supplied by Bokuto's anxiety that's starting to simmer on his skin. _You're not the one who pushed him._

"Well if I'm wrong, then good thing this day replays itself," He says aloud. "I can just find another thing to try to fix, like a process of elimination. I'll do everything opposite this time, I didn't go to practice for this round, Flitwick didn't assign me extra inches, and now—" Bokuto hears the bells toll in the distance, getting to his feet, "—I'll just have to make sure Slughorn doesn't weep."

* * *

"Hello," He says pleasantly to Asahi, who looks wary as he slowly drops his book bag onto the desk.

"Aren't you with Kuroo usually?"

Kuroo, who had looked offended when Bokuto went over to where Asahi usually sat, is brooding silently in the back of the class. Bokuto turns his head to survey his friend, who perks up, ignoring what Kiyoko is telling him.

"He'll survive," Bokuto turns back, flipping his book to the page on Oculus Potions and waving his wand to heat up the bottom of his cauldron. Slughorn had just finished waving his wand on the black board up front, littered with instructions, "This is for the greater good. How's your family by the way?"

Asahi looks at him like a child caught between two fighting parents, begrudgingly heating his cauldron and measuring crystallized water, "They're alright, how's your classes?"

Bokuto works fast, already knowing the pit falls of his mistakes and avoiding them. It's not a total 180, he still sweats when his potion is stuck on being a yellow-green as he adds nearly all the stewed mandrakes he has in a flutter of panic.

"You'd think Potions is easy," Bokuto grumbles to his seat mate, stirring more feverishly, cross referencing his notes and the textbook five times as he prays for his potion to turn green, "It's like, 'Who can best follow these sets of instructions' type of thing you know?"

"I personally think it's witchcraft," Asahi whispers conspiratorially, sweating as much as he is with a manic look in his eye. Bokuto laughs too loudly.

"Now, now I know we are all excited about the Ball," Slughorn bleats, patting his bald forehead with a handkerchief, "But really! Please pay attention to your potions, this could come up in your N.E.W.T.s! I will be very heartbroken if I receive comments about how my N.E.W.T. students otherwise passed splendidly for the exception of the Oculus Potion..."

Bokuto yelps, catching Asahi's wrist in time.

"Huh?" Asahi looks at their hands, "Um?"

"This isn't unicorn horn," Bokuto looks at the powder, noting the lack of sheen and luminescent features. "Or it is, but there's something else."

"Oh shit," Asahi lowers the bowl and vanishes it, pale, "It must have traces of crushed fire seed from last class, thanks for catching that."

"Ten points to Slytherin!" Slughorn calls out from the other end of the class, where he's standing next to Kuroo. Bokuto watches as Kuroo gives him an expression like Bokuto had personally wounded him, "Lovely work, Mr Bokuto, that's what I always love to see: inter-house unity!"

The rest of the class pass without anything else exciting. Bokuto shares the extra bit of his unicorn horn with Asahi, and they both bottle a portion of their mixture to Slughorn and leave class in high spirits, chatting about the Falcons and Tornadoes.

A strong hand tugs him into a dark alcove and he sees Kuroo pout at him.

"You know," His friend says with his arms crossed, grumpy, "If you didn't want to go to the Ball with me you can just _tell_ me."

Blankly, "Is that what you think is this about?" Bokuto asks, hearing the footsteps of their classmates fade.

"I don't know!" Kuroo accuses him, "I see you flirt with Akaashi during lunch and you didn't eat with us! I know you like him, so I'm thinking 'Oh he probably bagged himself a date'. Then I come to Potions, I see you avoiding me! The obvious conclusion is that, 'Oh maybe he doesn't know how to tell me that I have to find a date for the First Dance three hours before the Ball starts.'"

Bokuto groans, "You big idiot, I'm _fine!_ " When he sees Kuroo's expression, he insists, "I'm really fine! I'll see you at the Ball and everything."

"Pomfrey told me to keep an eye on you, why is that?"

Bokuto gawks at him, thinking about patient confidentiality before realizing Madam Pomfrey never said anything about what she _gave_ Bokuto per say, "When did you go to Pomfrey?"

"Just now. Kiyoko had a blister she kept trying to hide so I escorted her up there, crazy things girls do to look good honestly, those dress heels are death traps," Kuroo lowers his voice, "Are you...okay? I heard you didn't go to your practice this morning."

"I'm fine," Bokuto faintly nods, wondering if he could tell Kuroo. 

His mind starts spinning again. The Calming Draught has started to lose its potency, his hands are slick with sweat, his heart is pounding like a Bludger slamming itself into a wall repeatedly.

His stomach feels too full from his large lunch. The dungeon's cold draft isn't making the sweat on his forehead disappear.

Well, even if Kuroo doesn't take it too great, he can always repeat it.

"See," He starts, "This is just the second time I've lived through today."

There weren't many times Kuroo was speechless, but Bokuto feels a wisp of another presence in his mind, swatting Kuroo automatically, "Hey! Don't you _Legilimens_ me!"

Kuroo rubs his arm, "OW! And I had to make sure no one slipping anything funny in your lunch today!" He peers out the alcove, "And what do you mean this is your _second_ time living through today?"

"I mean," Bokuto says dryly, "I lived through Friday yesterday and when I woke up, it was Friday again. Is Friday again," He corrects himself.

Kuroo frowns at him, "You're telling the truth," Bokuto feels the presence probing gently, like Kuroo himself was pinching Bokuto's face with gentle fingers. It was always weird to feel Kuroo in his head, but he never strays too deep, only staying in shallow waters. 

He watches as Kuroo reviews the memory of him waking up this morning, panicking, "Have you figured why this is happening?"

He shakes his head, "But I'm doing everything opposite to see if I stop jumping back in time."

"You don't have a Time Turner do you?"

Bokuto gives him a flat look, "No."

"I gotta cover my bases! Let's go to the Library," Kuroo declares, tugging him out of the alcove, "The Ball doesn't start now anyway, the more we can prepare ourselves, the better."

"You're the Champion, aren't you—" Bokuto nearly trips over his bag, lifting the book bag around his shoulders instead of lugging it behind him, "—Hell. Aren't you suppose to be doing, I don't know, Champion things before the Ball?"

Kuroo rolls his eyes, "You're more important."

Bokuto remembers something, pulling Kuroo's arm back, "Wait!"

"What?!"

"You won't find out later, but Iwaizumi's going to patrol the entire thing by himself, we shouldn't let him do that on his own."

Kuroo groans, "Fuck that's right, Kiyoko asked him for that favor a few weeks ago. Those little Prefect shits, I can't believe they'd do this."

"Iwaizumi can't say no after all," Bokuto dryly quips, coming to the gargoyle blocking the Headmistress's Office, "Hm, what do you think the password is?"

"Cat," Kuroo starts hurling words at it, "American Short hair? Harry Potter. Hermoine Granger! What are you kidding me, it's not her?! Ugh fine. Transfiguration. Animagus? Quidditch??"

"Mr Kuroo," An irate voice interrupts them, Bokuto spins to see the greying witch look at them like they're insects she's not fond of, "And Mr Bokuto. Is there something I can help you with?"

"I wanted to speak to you," Bokuto hurriedly moves forward, "I've found out that the Prefects were planning skive off their duties at the Ball. It wouldn't be fair for Iwaizumi and Shimizu to be the only ones patrolling."

McGonagall's nostrils flare, "That most certainly isn't fair, thank you for telling me. Off you go then," She waves them away from her gargoyle, "You have a Ball now to prepare."

They go to the Library instead, pulling out dusty tomes and trying to pretend Madam Pince's gaze isn't shriveling their soul. They look suspicious for sure, but the Library is empty and they don't really care, letting their stomach growl as they go through books after books with nothing coming up about time-loops in the absence of a time turner, time-loops in general or cases of very strong deja vus.

Kuroo's wand starts buzzing, "We have forty-five minutes till the Ball starts," Kuroo waves his wand and watches as the books float up and start marching themselves to the appropriate shelves.

Bokuto rests his face on his arm, head swimming with information. It's dark outside and he can hear people giggle in the corridors outside, grabbing his book bag and sighing. The nausea is back, he wonders if he should take another dose of Calming Draught.

"Thanks for trying," He says to Kuroo, going down the staircases.

"Of course," Kuroo scoffs, punching him, "You'd be personally lost without me. See you soon."

"Ask Flitwick to help you with your hair," Bokuto suggests, wiggling his eyebrows.

Kuroo grins, "Oho, thanks for the _tip_ ," His friend hurries down the moving staircases and Bokuto hurries to the Gryffindor landing, turning the corner and watching two fourth years bounce off of him and onto the floor.

"Oh Merlin, not again!" He plucks both of them up easily, waving his wand and removing the dirt on Rose Weasley's soft green dress and Scorpius Malfoy's deep green robes. "So sorry, are you both alright?"

Both of them nod mutely, looking flustered, and Bokuto leaves them at that, diving through the portrait hole and scrambling to the other side to see that Iwaizumi had already left. Several people look at him and ask why he's still dressed in his school robes, baffled when he said that he's been at the Library.

His dorm room is empty and he changes quickly, grabbing too much hair wax and warming it between his hands before ruffling it through his hair.

He stares at the mirror, hands holding the bow tie fabric before realizing that it was Iwaizumi who had tied it for him yesterday. 

"Hell," He curses, slipping it in a pocket and hurrying out of the portrait hole. Maybe he can find a teacher and ask them to help him when he bumps into a body outside the Fat Lady.

"Where's your bow tie?" Kuroo scrunches his nose in greeting.

Bokuto hands him the fabric and Kuroo rolls his eyes, hands quickly tying it and adjusting the collar of his dress shirt over so it completely covers the ribbon, "What would you do without me?"

"Rejoice at the absence of your massive ego," Bokuto laughs, bounding down the steps and landing on the ground floor when he sees the Champions already lined up. Akaashi meets his eyes and waves, Oikawa beside him, dressed in a dark blue robe and giving Bokuto a sour look.

"Do you know Oikawa?" Kuroo mumbles as McGonagall ushers them towards the lineup not a moment too soon, the trumpet fanfare starting and startling most of the Champions and their dates.

"Nope."

"He looks grumpy," Kuroo giggles. Bokuto sneaks a look at Oikawa from the corner of his eyes as they begin the First Dance, bowing to their partners. Oikawa does look grumpy, jaw set out and lips jutting out like a child.

He meets his gaze, and the petulance disappears as he glares at Bokuto, who meeps and swivels his head to see Kuroo trying to hide a laugh.

"He hates me!"

Kuroo snorts, tilting his head up to smile beatifically at their classmates. Bokuto whispers that his hair looks good, and Kuroo thanks him with a wink.

After the dance, Kuroo steals one of the magically floating trays and hides behind one of the evergreens.

"Okay," Kuroo says, spraying some cracker crumbs into Bokuto's chest, "Whoops sorry. Anyway, what happened in the original timeline?"

"I wake up, go to practice, got extra inches assigned by Flitwick, got dismissed early since Slughorn was too sad in Potions, went to the Ball with you, drag Iwaizumi back to bed early and James Potter wakes me up three minutes before midnight to tell me that Akaashi Keiji had fallen off the Astronomy Tower and broke his neck."

Kuroo swallows, "Oh. Not good."

"Not good."

He groans, "Ah shit," Bokuto closes his eyes, "I wanted to do things differently this round but I went to the ball with you!"

"Hang on, you said that you dragged Iwaizumi to bed early?"

"Yea?"

Kuroo bites his lips, peering from the evergreen to see that Iwaizumi is scanning the crowd on the opposite end of the room, blending into the shadows, "Maybe if we let him stay the entire night without you meddling he would catch Akaashi going up to the Astronomy Tower? I know he leaves that tower as the last part of his route. At least that fulfills one part of letting the day be opposite of what you did, right?"

Bokuto watches as Akaashi dance with several female classmates, all of Beauxbaton color coordinating with their Champion in a show of school spirit, their dresses and robes various shades of black, cool greys and silvers and blues, "Maybe that'll work, yeah."

"He doesn't seem the type to jump off the Tower," Kuroo offers him a hand pie, humming, "He's wicked clever, I was so close to beating him in the first round. And everyone is disgustingly proud of him."

"That's right, James told me that he 'fell off'. He never said anything about Akaashi jumping."

"But you don't know if Potter was even there at the scene, right?"

"I'm not sure, I think he was there? He mentioned he was Fire-calling his dad from McGonagall's office," He turns around to see where James is when he catches sight of McGonagall talking to Iwaizumi, " _Noooooo!_ "

"What? What?" Kuroo looks up from his tray of food.

Bokuto gestures to them, feeling like he's closer than ever to tears. He doesn't know if he can take leaping back in time again, "Now Iwaizumi knows he doesn't need to patrol all night. Well, in that case I can bring him to bed and make sure he's tucked in before patrolling around the Astronomy Tower."

"Curfew is at eleven today."

"Well good thing you're a Prefect right?" Bokuto arches an eyebrow, pulling the idea out of thin air. "You got a free pass today since you're Champion and didn't need to patrol but when everyone else has fallen asleep I can walk around with you, so you know, if they catch me you can back me up."

"Alright," Kuroo easily agrees, "Should we join them? We have an absurd amount of time to waste, and I know that Tsukishima spiked the orange punch tonight."

"You're corrupting him," Bokuto shoulders him, walking forward and going straight for the orange punch. He knows he'll need it if he's to survive the next few hours.

* * *

When they watch McGonagall close the doors to the Great Hall and leave, Kuroo and Bokuto melt out of the shadows, wands in hand. 

Kuroo checks his wizarding watch, the planets and hands on the watch moving simultaneously, "Thirty minutes before midnight. We could be cutting it close."

Bokuto casts Warming Charms over both of them, "You know what to do?"

They had decided to not patrol together because in the off chance that Akaashi still falls off, he's going to drop down like a stone.

"Cushioning Charm over the area below the Tower, Slowing Charm to slow him down when he falls, Disillusionment Charm over myself... Anything else?" 

Bokuto shakes his head, and they part, Kuroo murmuring something under his breath as he waves his wand around himself like a rope. Bokuto hears the front door creak open and close before running up the steps, sticking to the shadows. 

He casts a Disillusionment Charm when he sees Peeves hopping up and down the corridor, singing about murders and guillotines, shuffling along when a familiar voice echoes in the corridors behind him.

"—Hogwarts Champion and Prefect! I cannot believe you would even attempt to sneak out at this hour!" McGonagall hisses, dragging a panicked looking Kuroo to her office. "Peeves! Leave us!"

"Certainly, Your Grace. Ickle Kurookins making trouble are we? Disappointing the school yet again?"

Bokuto swallows and casts a Silencing Charm on his shoes, muffling his footsteps as he runs past them faster now that his partner has been compromised.

He gets to the base of the tower and starts running up, checking his watch and nearly doubling over when he realizes he has only fifteen minutes left before midnight.

And it took James time to run back to Gryffindor Tower, he hastens his speed and slows down when he reaches the landing, hearing voices.

French.

He casts a Language Charm and edges around the shadows until he can see Oikawa and Akaashi arguing, still wearing their dress robes.

"—You have nothing to prove by taking this contract, Oikawa!"

"Not everything will be handed to me on a plate like you, okay?! Your family aren't pure blood elitists that make Voldemort's Death Eaters here in the UK look like simpering ladies! Your dad isn't the Minister that's infamous for his love of nobility and wizarding royalty!" Oikawa growls, pacing back and forth as sparks shoots out of his hand. "I finally have the chance to prove myself after all these years, to get away from the image everyone has about me and you're telling me not to take it?!"

"I think destroying your body just for a chance to redeem yourself like this is stupid, there are other ways, you know!—"

"What other options do I have?" Oikawa laughs hollowly, resembling a madman as a strong breeze picks itself up and runs itself through his hair, "My sister can't work anymore and she has a baby on the way."

A Jarvey launches itself out of it's hiding spot, a mouse in its jaws. Oikawa stumbles back at the sudden appearance and trips over his robes.

Bokuto inhales sharply, frozen.

Akaashi does the same, but he steadies himself by holding a hand on the railing.

Oikawa looks up to see Akaashi tipping backwards, the railing groaning as he tumbles into the darkness.

"Akaashi!" Bokuto bellows, scrambling to the edge as Oikawa waves his wand around, pale and shocked, "AKAASHI!"

Bokuto sprints out of the Tower, going down, down, down the spiraling set of stairs and bursting from the front doors, racing to the collection of large boulders to see that Akaashi has his neck bent unnaturally, eyes staring at nothing.

"—Heard a yell supposedly," Slughorn's voice feebly sniffs as he turns the corner with Sinistra following him, both of them jumping back when they spot Akaashi's body. "Goodness! Is. Is that?!—"

" _Vermillious Maxima!_ " Sinistra chokes sending a trio of massive red sparks into the air before casting a Patronus, "To Poppy: please come immediately to the area below the Astronomy Tower! Horace, how is he?"

Slughorn shakes his head, pulling his hand back from Akaashi's face, "He's gone, Aurora."

Bokuto stares at Akaashi, inching slowly towards the rocks slowly as he blinks back the shock to find McGonagall, Madam Pomfrey, Kuroo, James and Harry Potter running in tow towards them. James takes one look at the body, nods dumbly as McGonagall instructs him to let the Prefects know and patrol the corridors to make sure no other students stumble upon this and sprints away.

Bokuto closes his eyes, blinking back tears and suddenly feeling very tired. He mentally counts to ten, knowing that the moment the harsh winds stopped howling in his ears that he's back in his dormitory.

Silence.

He opens his eyes to find himself lying on his bed, Celestina Warbeck going off in his ears.

* * *

When he tells James that he feels too ill for morning practice, James surprisingly relents and tells him to get some Pepper Up from Pomfrey so he can be in tip top shape for the game tomorrow, leaving him with Davidson.

Bokuto glances at the clock. 05:07.

He wraps himself in the blanket and falls asleep, not bothering to set up alarms or the such. He deserves this bit of reprieve.

* * *

It's 07:36 when he wakes, cheeks sticky with tears, and he peers out the curtain to see that Davidson has left the dorm, his bed made and school robes gone from the hanger.

Bokuto rubs his eyes and takes a shower, scrubbing his body slowly and releasing more tears under the hot spray. Akaashi had looked so dead. 

And Bokuto failed.

Is it time to tell McGonagall perhaps? He rubs shampoo into his hair and leans back as the spray rinses the suds out. But there's no telling that McGonagall will believe him, nevertheless trust him after accepting the truth to do what he aiming to do in the first place.

He decides to grab Kuroo during Breakfast to see if he can spare him a few minutes.

"Kuroo," Bokuto greets, approaching the Slytherins, book bag on one shoulder.

Kuroo turns around grinning, but immediately drops the smile, "Bo? You don't look good, not practicing?"

"Do you have a minute?" Bokuto tilts his head, adjusting his bag and trying not to meet the curious gazes of Yaku, Tsukishima, Kiyoko and some daughters and sons of the Sacred Twenty Eight who had been teasing little Scorpius about his date with Rose Weasley tonight.

"Of course," Kuroo grabs his book bag and leads him out from the Great Hall, passing some Durmstrang students giggling to a few seventh year Ravenclaws. They find a random alcove near the first floor in the chamber where the first years who are about to get sorted wait. "What's wrong?" 

"Legilimens me," Bokuto orders, immediately seeing Kuroo flinch, "Kuroo, it's too long to explain and I'm going to lose my mind, Legilimens me."

"If you're sure..."

Bokuto takes a deep breath, nodding.

Kuroo draws out his wand from his sleeve, the dark wood matching his dark eyes as they stand face to face.

He points his wand at Bokuto's temple softly, " _Legilimens_."

He initially threw up his walls, but he can feel a gentle presence hovering there until he brought the walls down to a glass house, the circular area filled with sunlight, a rocking chair in the middle of the room with a heavy red blanket draped over the back. Glass shelves filled with trinkets, hidden nooks and cranies and the odd objects sparkle in the sunlight. One in particular catches his and Kuroo's interest at the same time.

_Koutarou, please be safe, I love you._

Bokuto takes a ragged breath, pressing a hand on a certain shelf holding a sculpture of a constellation and peering into the glass, ignoring the woman's voice begging in his ear to stay safe.

The glass inside the sculpture burst with colors and voices.

_"Is having another practice the day of the Ball a necessary?"_

_"_ _Terrible manners, you have, Iwaizumi. I told you, we must slaughter Slytherin tomorrow—"_

The original timeline, they're both dancing underneath a sky, snow falling around their shoulders. Iwaizumi looks tired. Bokuto encourages him to drink another cup of hot chocolate. James appears.

_"The Beauxbaton Champion! He fell off the Astronomy Tower and broke his neck."_

_Celestina Warbeck. Bumping his nose on the door. Phoebe looking at him with worry._

_"—As-tu serieusement accepté cet accord avec Porto Rico?"_

Kuroo watches the exchange with wide eyes. 

_"The reason why I'm stuck in a time loop is probably one thing. It's probably to save Akaashi. Well if I'm wrong, then good thing this day replays itself."_

_"_ _He doesn't seem the type to jump off the Tower,"_ A hand pie. _"He's wicked clever, I was so close to beating him in the first round. And everyone is disgustingly proud of him."_

_"_ _Thirty minutes before midnight. We could be cutting it close."_

_"Goodness! Is. Is that?!—"_

" _Vermillious Maxima!_ " 

_"He's gone, Aurora."_

He supposes it was like a sick film, he doesn't say anything when Kuroo steps forward to look at the memories more, rotating the constellation around, viewing each memory with a closer scrutiny.

_Bokuto_ , A woman's voice calls, motherly and soft, _Bokuto, I love you._

He takes a deep breath, pulling up the walls to his glass greenhouse, "That's enough." He blinks, Kuroo coming back into focus as they breathe in time, the alcove very warm and full of sunshine.

"Bokuto," Kuroo starts, voice thin and weak.

Bokuto abruptly looks away from him and vomits, coughing and letting the tears sting his eyes as he hears the bells toll.

"Go, you have Transfiguration."

"Don't be dumb, Bo," Kuroo vanishes the pile of sick on the stones before transfiguring something into a damp cloth that he offers to him. Bokuto stares at the pale fingers and takes the handkerchief. "As if I'll let you be alone after all of this."

"So you believe me?" Bokuto looks up to his childhood friend.

"This is the second round then? Yes I do, it's too..." Kuroo purses his lips, "Real. I've seen fake memories before and there are usually details people forget to alter in their minds. This one is too well done, too full of colors to be anything but real."

Bokuto tries to quash the remaining nausea when Kuroo tugs his hand, leading him up, "Kuroo? Where are we going?"

"Calming Draught. You need it."

He doesn't fight him, letting himself be towed and herded onto the Hospital Wing landing. Bokuto sits on one of the available cots as Kuroo's and Pomfrey's soft voices converge for a minute before they both came out.

"How are you feeling?" Pomfrey bends to look at him, tutting at his skin tone.

"Jittery," His stomach growls, "Sorry, I didn't have enough time to eat breakfast." 

"You must eat something at least," Pomfrey waves her wand, a large plate of sandwiches appearing with a decanter of pumpkin juice. She hands Bokuto a blue potion and watches him swallow it. Then she leaves them.

The Calming Draught did its magic. Bokuto feels calmer, able to pick up things without his hands shaking. He plucks a chicken and salad sandwich.

"What did you tell her?"

Kuroo doesn't touch the sandwiches, eyes looking past the floor to ceiling windows at the scenery outside, "I lied. I told her you've been sleeping poorly and having nightmares."

"She thinks it's related to my mom, doesn't she?" He picks a cheese steak next.

Kuroo turns to him, "I didn't correct her, but I thought it'd be better this way instead of trying to explain that you're stuck in a time loop." They both don't say what they know, that the woman's voice in Bokuto's glass greenhouse was one of the last memories of his mother before she'd bled out in his arms after sixth year concluded.

"It is easier," Bokuto says after swallowing half the sandwich, drinking some juice to clean his mouth, "Thanks."

Kuroo hums, sitting alongside him on the cot and studying the sandwich selection before grabbing a puffy one consisting of creams and strawberries.

"I think I know what to do now. To prevent Akaashi from falling, we can't act so last minute like yesterday," Bokuto says awkwardly, wondering if Kuroo would understand how he was caught at the last minute even if he didn't exactly live through it. "We have to intercept them earlier."

"I can try to convince some of the Prefects to patrol through the Tower."

Bokuto shakes his head, grabbing his third sandwich, "I don't think we can't rely on indirect approaches. It has to be direct," He looks up at Kuroo, "We need to calm Oikawa down, or at least council him enough that his emotions aren't in constant flux. I think they were up there because Akaashi followed Oikawa."

"And how do you suggest we do that?" Kuroo frowns, "Slip some Calming Draught in his drink?"

"That's an idea," Bokuto purses his lips, "But I don't know if it'll work. It'll look too suspicious if we keep pestering him to drink. No I was thinking," He drops his voice, looking left and right even though he knows they're the only ones up here, "We switch partners."

"Huh," Kuroo blinks blankly.

"Iwaizumi is going stag, we can stick him with Oikawa. Then I'll take Akaashi."

Kuroo takes a very loud sip of pumpkin juice, raising his hand up.

Bokuto points to him with his sandwich flag, "Yes, Kuroo."

"Yea I have problems with that. Firstly, Oikawa is _veeeery_ possessive of Akaashi— oh don't raise your eyebrows at me, you didn't see them attached at the hip during the First Challenge. The poor boy was fussing over Akaashi like he's his newborn or something. I don't even know how we'll separate them. And second, how will we even know if Oikawa will stick with Iwaizumi? And third, um," Kuroo scowls, " _I'm_ your date. Who am I going with for the First Dance then if you're with Akaashi?"

"Uh," Bokuto says. "Those are all very good questions. Do you think a Sticking Charm will work?"

"Are you kidding me?"

"Never mind," Bokuto hastily says, seeing through the very large holes of his plan. "Ummm."

"Yes?"

"Tsukishima can be your date?"

"Not in the coldest hell," Kuroo rolls his eyes. "But let's say it works, Oikawa sticks with Iwaizumi throughout the night and I have someone to dance with, then what? Are you hoping that either of them will be so taken with their date that they'll forget about Oikawa's insecurity and retire back to the Pumpkin Carriage separately?"

To be perfectly honest, that's all Bokuto has for scheming, knowing that Kuroo has more experience in brewing more complex plans, "Yep."

Kuroo sighs.

"Kiyoko!" Bokuto blurts out suddenly, getting to his feet.

"She's in Transfiguration, where I'm suppose to be, remember?"

"Kiyoko will go with you!" Bokuto breathes, bouncing up and down on his toes, "She said it to me before, she knows how hard courage is. Everyone already knows I have a slight thing for Akaashi, and if Akaashi agrees to go with me, she'll probably be gracious enough to understand and dance with you for the First Dance. Her date is someone in Gryffindor, sixth year girl, really nice. Her name is Yachi."

Kuroo dramatically starts weeping, contorting his face into an ugly expression, "Sixteen years of friendship and you toss me away so easily!"

Bokuto eats two more bites, polishes off his last sandwich and grabs his bag, running.

Kuroo's immediately joins him, matching his pace as they spiral down the tower, "Where are you going?"

Bokuto blinks, "To sit outside Cinderella's Pumpkin to see if I can flirt with Akaashi?" He doesn't know if it will work, but he knows he's not interested in listening to Flitwick drone on for the next three hours until Lunch comes around.

"You should get Iwaizumi then. See if you can stick them this early, they both play Quidditch, maybe you can get them to be somewhat friends first before tonight."

Bokuto makes a face, "They're all in classes now, Flitwick will give me detention if I drag Iwaizumi out."

"Gryffindors," Kuroo rolls his eyes, pulling out what looked like a gum pack from his pocket. "You don't have to always be so _honest_. Here, tell him to chew this. It'll give him signs of fever as long as he keeps chewing it, and when he's out of class, he can spit it out."

Bokuto accepts the little gum, squinting at the two sides to look for a WW mark and finding none, "Where did you get this?"

"I made it," Kuroo smugly says, "You're welcome."

"What about you?"

Kuroo waves a piece of parchment, "I got this signed by Pomfrey. I'll be okay, but you can't be seen, got it?" Kuroo taps his wand against Bokuto's head and Bokuto flinches when he feels something like cold egg wash over his head. "Perfect."

"I'll see you at lunch, Kuroo."

"Good luck," Kuroo smirks, walking towards the staircases.

Bokuto takes a different set of staircases to the second floor. When he gets to the seventh's year classroom, a little smaller than the standard first to fifth class since this is a N.E.W.T's class, he bends down to scribble something on a scrap corner of parchment, wrapping the gum in it.

" _Wingardium Leviosa._ "

He's glad that Iwaizumi had chosen the seats towards the back of the class, and he floats the little package at ankle height, making it tap against Iwaizumi's ankle, who's still blond.

Iwaizumi squints at the parchment, looking left and right before reluctantly popping the gum in his mouth. Within seconds, his darker complexion turns flushed, and a hazy quality to his eyes is apparent.

"Sir," Iwaizumi calls out feebly, a hand half in the air, "Sorry to interrupt, Professor, but I don't feel so well."

Flitwick squeaks with worry, sending Iwaizumi out the door promptly. Iwaizumi shuffles for a few feet before Bokuto claps a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't panic."

"Can I stop chewing this?"

"Yea."

Iwaizumi spits it into his hand and vanishes it, heading to an empty classroom as he glances left and right before shutting the door.

Bokuto takes off his Disillusionment, "I need you to do something with me."

Iwaizumi furrows his brow, "And this requires missing class?"

"Yes. _Colovaria_ ," Bokuto flicks his wand at Iwaizumi's hair, watching the roots darken immediately as the color spreads out. "Play Quidditch with me."

Iwaizumi stares at him, "I'm sorry, what?"

Bokuto wasn't sure if Iwaizumi could believe him if he told him about the time loop. Kuroo trusts him well enough, but Iwaizumi tends to kick and flail before accepting something. He would need proof. And a Pensieve. And lots of hours of pacing and growling and waving his arms around.

Bokuto casts a nonverbal _Muffliato_ behind him, "I want to flirt in front of Akaashi. And get him to go to the Ball with me tonight instead of his Beauxbaton friend."

"What about Kuroo?" Iwaizumi is still looking at him like he's grown two heads. "And why do you need my help?"

"His mom is a fan of my dad," Bokuto recalls the memory, "And in the off chance that he might say yes, his friend will be dateless, and that's when I was wondering if you could help me with. Can you go with his date?"

"I don't even know who his date is," Iwaizumi starts scowling, crossing his arms as the robes around his arms stretch. He looks mildly uncomfortable, "Is Kuroo putting you up to this? Is this a trick because I'm going stag?"

"What? No! Stop fussing about Kuroo, he says he's fine with it. Look," Bokuto takes a deep breath, "I really want to dance with, um, Akaashi." His face flushes, "But I feel bad if I steal his date away from him, and you're going stag anyway right? I asked some of the Prefects and they said that they'll patrol properly, so you're off the hook."

Iwaizumi closes his mouth after it dropped in shock, "Oh you heard about that? ...Thanks, I guess."

"You should have told us earlier," Bokuto writes a mental checklist that he has to talk to McGonagall later, "It's not cool how they all abandon you."

"Do I really have to go with Akaashi's date?"

Bokuto peers closer at him, "Is there something wrong with his date?"

Iwaizumi deadpans airily, "He's just the most eligible Quidditch player we have in our school right now. With that news about his offer to the Puerto Rican team, I'm sure he would rather take a more beautiful witch."

"I thought you just said you don't know who his date is."

Iwaizumi turns pink, "I mean, it's probably that tall one hanging around him right?"

Bokuto feels rather guilty for attempting his next sneaky trick, "I... I feel bad now. I just wanted you to have a good time tonight at the Ball. Practice has been brutal for us lately, and Oikawa probably is a pretty good person to dance with, he's a Quidditch player like us, you might make a friend out of him."

"...I guess I can go with you then, if that's taken care of," Iwaizumi mutters reluctantly, like he doesn't want to go ahead with this plan.

Bokuto's eyes flies open in shock, "That's it? You agreed?"

"Well yeah?"

"I was expecting you to fight and kick the entire time I drag you to the Beauxbaton Carriage."

Iwaizumi yawns, clearly still in discomfort but trying to hide it, "I'm tired, but let's get our brooms. Maybe I can take a nap after the first round or something."

Bokuto Disillusions them both just in case, running up Gryffindor Tower and back down as they make their way to the Beauxbaton Carriage, the sun still shining bright in the sky.

They're only five paces out of the castle when they see Akaashi and Oikawa carry brooms over their shoulders, arguing softly while wearing dark blue sweaters and black sweatpants.

_Here we go_ , Bokuto sighs, approaching them as Iwaizumi bleats belatedly behind him.

"Hey hey!" He cheerfully shoots them a smile, argument temporarily stopped, "Playing a game? Can we join?"

Akaashi and Oikawa exchange looks, "Sure," Oikawa quietly hums, tilting his head like an overgrown puppy, "But we have an odd number."

"My friend is over there," Bokuto waves his hand behind him.

Oikawa and Akaashi turn their heads, and Bokuto hears a sharp inhale from the youngest Seeker in history.

" _Iwaizumi Hajime?_ "

"Oikawa," Iwaizumi grimaces, slowly walking down the slope, skidding on some moss. He rights himself as Bokuto and Akaashi exchange glances. "How are you doing?"

Oikawa continues to look at him like he's some ghost that had materialized out of nowhere. Bokuto feels a cool hand wrap around his wrist as he's tugged toward the pitch, leaving Iwaizumi and Oikawa to speak quietly.

"I think we should give them space," Akaashi says after putting some distance between them, dropping Bokuto's wrist. "You're Kuroo Tetsurou's friend, aren't you?"

"I am," Bokuto glances back to see that Oikawa and Iwaizumi are still standing in the same place, Iwaizumi standing straight as a pole as he stiffly moves his lip to reply, "Maybe we can start with a few laps while we wait? Do you know anything about them?"

Akaashi shrugs, "I think Oikawa once told me he had a dear childhood friend whom he was close with," He offers Bokuto a hand, "Akaashi Keiji—"

"The Beauxbaton Champion," Bokuto supplies automatically, turning red when Akaashi gives him an amused smile. "Sorry, I, uh, I already know who you are. I'm Bokuto. Bokuto Koutarou."

"Pleasure," Akaashi smiles, and the clouds wiggle slightly to part some sunshine their way. Akaashi drops his broom onto the grass and starts stretching, "My mother was- is, still a big fan of your father's. She saw him briefly in the 1990 World Cup."

"I'll let him know, thank you for that. Does she play for a team?"

"Only in school, for Mahoutokoro," Akaashi pulls out a shrunken case of Quidditch balls out of his pant pocket, mumbling _Engorgio_ to restore it to it's full size. "You both are skipping classes?"

Bokuto looks up to see Akaashi giving him a conspiring smile.

"Ahaha, no?"

"We come here to borrow your pitch every day around this hour, neither you or Iwaizumi ever show up."

Bokuto holds up his hands, "You got me there, I'm skipping," He stretches his arms, "I need to get away from books for a bit." _And to get away from this time loop._

"Seventh year?" Akaashi asks.

Bokuto nods, "You?"

Akaashi grins, "Sixth. I'm lucky that the Cup had lowered the age requirement this time, but I don't feel particularly threatened with Auror Potter and his team watching over every challenge."

"Oh, does he?"

"It's part of the agreement for the school to host the Triwizard Tournament again, I believe. They wanted to be very careful, especially after what happened last time."

"Right," Bokuto dryly quips, "The resurrection of an evil wizard. That can't be good for publicity after all."

Akaashi laughs, a light tinkling sound as his eyes glitter, "You're very funny. Kuroo is right."

Bokuto swivels, "Kuroo?" He echoes, "Has he been talking about me behind my back?"

"Only good things. We had time to chat before the first challenge started, he cherishes you a lot. He ah, call you his...Brokuto?"

Bokuto turns very, very red and turns his head to where Iwaizumi and Oikawa are still standing around, "And with that, where are our friends— HOLY HELL!"

Akaashi turns around at the panic in his voice, jaw dropping as both of them stare in shock to find Oikawa lip-locked with Iwaizumi, brooms and friends forgotten.

"Well," Akaashi says after a long pause, opening the case to hold up a Quaffle, "We can play a bit and when they finally realize we exist they can join us?"

* * *

"He was my neighbour before I moved away," Oikawa blinks his doe eyes at Iwaizumi as the group sit on the grass after a very intense timed game of two-on-two. Bokuto and Iwaizumi, being Chasers themselves, had obliterated the pair in a spectacular finish of 390 to 70, "We had to move elsewhere since my dad got the Minister position, and I hadn't seen Iwa-chan since then."

Bokuto tries to hide his laugh behind a cough at the childhood nickname. Iwaizumi glares at him from his position next to Oikawa, but asides from the slight embarrassment, he looks quite content, a happy flush around his cheeks.

"And your family moved from Miyagi too, Iwaizumi?" Akaashi asks, curious.

"Yeah, my dad's an engineer, got an offer here in London so we immigrated right around after Oikawa's family left."

"I'm happy for you," Akaashi says, lying flat on his back. "Do you want to take him to the Ball instead?"

Oikawa perks up, "Oh, you wouldn't mind?"

Akaashi gives him a wry look, raising himself to his elbows, "Oh I do, but you can be the one who breaks the news to Headmistress."

" _Dégage-toi_ ," Oikawa scoffs, rolling his eyes, but he looks at Bokuto, "Bokuto-chan, you wouldn't happen to have a date tonight?"

He'd expected to pull teeth and sweat profusely over how to get the second part of his plan work, but the opportunity had come up so perfectly that Bokuto is rendered speechless, "Oh! Um, I'm free."

"Excellent," Oikawa grins like a cat who caught the canary, cream and treat. "Well, there you go Akaashi, you're welcome, love." The bell starts to toll in the distance.

"I'll see you before the Ball then," Bokuto smiles to Akaashi, who still carries a faint flush around his cheeks, snapping his fingers so his broom whizzes to his hand. 

"Yes, see you," Akaashi smiles back. "You'll have to come for a scrimmage again. I don't think I've had that much fun since the school year started."

Bokuto's chest swells with happiness at the praise, "Oh? Then we'll just have to fiddle with the teams so it'll be more fair."

Bokuto races to lunch, going up Gryffindor tower to stash his broom away before waltzing to the Slytherin table and wiggling himself at home between Yaku and Kuroo.

"I did it," He murmurs into Kuroo's ears.

Kuroo grins, fist bumping him below the table, "My turn then."

"Hello Bokuto, you look better," Kiyoko greets, falling into her seat across them and reaching for a pot of creamy stew and flicking her wand for a jug of water to pour into her goblet.

"Kiyoko!" Kuroo suddenly yells, drawing attention at the nearby tables, "My most respected Head Girl and the best student in our year, Kiyoko!" 

Kuroo stands on the bench and jumps over the table, landing behind her with cat-like grace as he goes down on one knee and produces forget-me-nots with a wave of his wand as hordes of younger Slytherin and Ravenclaw girls start to shriek and point, "Will you go to the Ball with me?"

"Kuroo!" She hisses at him, face turning pink at the unexpected attention. Bokuto feels a stab of embarrassment for her, praying that if everything works out perfectly for him he'll buy some candies for her next Hogsmeade outing they get, " _Kuroo what are you doing?_ "

" _Do you have a date?_ " Kuroo begs as roses, daffodils, tulips, baby's breath begin sprouting in quick succession from the tip of his wand, nearly burying his chin from view. He lowers his voice conspiratorially, "I really need a favor, see, Bokuto finally grew a set and asked Akaashi to the Ball, and now I'm dateless and I'm pretty sure McGonagall will kill me if I show up stag for the First Dance."

Her eye twitches as she turns to Bokuto, who waves his hands around, "I-I only asked him just now!"

"Next time ask earlier," She scowls, but her tone relaxes, "But real courage takes effort though, that I understand."

"Sorry Kiyoko," Bokuto grimaces, hating to lie but knowing this is vital, "I chickened out the last few weeks."

Kiyoko turns to Kuroo, "I have a date, but if you ask her for her permission, I can spare the first dance for you."

Kuroo vanishes the flowers below his chin and smiles, snapping his fingers to create a beautiful white lily that he hands to Kiyoko, "Thank you. Yachi, right?"

"Yes, but— oh," Kiyoko sighs, watching Kuroo zoom to the Gryffindor table and pulling the fumbling girl away from some of the Potters and Weasleys, "Well he gets what he wants done for sure."

"I really am sorry, Kiyoko," Bokuto grimaces.

"No hard feelings!" Kiyoko brushes his puppy eyes off.

Kuroo zooms back as quick as he left, smiling at them, "Only one dance with me, Kiyoko, Yachi agreed," He drops into his seat, relieved.

"Get her some Murtlap essence to soak her feet in before the Ball," Bokuto tells Kuroo, quiet among the din of the conversation.

"Why?"

"Her feet had blisters."

"Gotcha. Say, Yaku, pass the bread would you? Now Kiyoko, do you want my tie charmed to be the same color as your dress or do you not care about aesthetics?"

* * *

Potions passes in a blink of an eye, and Bokuto shakes his leg up and down, Calming Draught long ago gone from his system. He paces in a circle in the common room, jumping up and down when Iwaizumi finishes gelling his hair, this time around taking longer to get ready.

"You have to tell me _all_ about him," Bokuto says, opening the portrait hole slowly, managing to avoid scaring and barreling over Rose and Scorpius as Iwaizumi turns pink, "One minute you guys were staring off and the next I turn and it's smooching time!"

"Stop making it sound like I kissed a stranger within two minutes of meeting him!"

"Oho but he's not a stranger is he? He's your childhood looooooveeeeeeeeeeee!"

"I'll hex you!" 

Bokuto races down the staircases, laughing too hard when he catches sight of McGonagall. He loses Iwaizumi in the crowd by blending in and performing a quick color change to his hair, giving her the tip off about the Prefects as she stalks off to round up them up. 

He changes his hair back and waits by the doors, seeing a line of students leaving the Beauxbaton carriage and Durmstrang ship.

"Hey," He smiles, looking at Akaashi's unique dress robes. It's the third time he's seen the constellations winking on his back, but the details are even prettier up close, the fabric shimmering in and out with stars. If Bokuto looks long enough, he can see galaxies form and disappear. "I like your robes."

"Thanks," Akaashi looks like he's uncomfortable by the amount of attention he's getting, especially when Beauxbaton is showing a lot of support for him by wearing shades of greys and blues, "Sadly all of my robes are like this."

Bokuto isn't a smooth talker, "Well you look great!" 

Akaashi turns pink, "You look good too."

McGonagall shuffles their way, her witch's hat perched jauntily, "I've been informed there was a last minute partner change? Let's line up then, the Ball is due to start soon."

Bokuto stands next to Akaashi, feeling like someone had sunk their hands into his gut and began squeezing them at random intervals. He really should have taken another Calming Draught maybe, but it's too late.

"Breathe."

Bokuto turns around to see Kuroo and Kiyoko smile at him, Kiyoko dressed in a deep red dress and Kuroo charming his tie to be dark red as well.

He grins, "Never thought I'd see the day you two wear Gryffindor colors."

Kuroo smirks, "We wear red pretty well, but the question is, can you wear green as well as we wear your uniform?"

"Bring it on!"

"Oho!"

Akaashi's laugh is covered by the loud brass fanfare, and Bokuto walks ahead with his head held high towards the Great Hall, knowing that for now he's done all he can to ensure the security of Akaashi and Oikawa.

* * *

Bokuto shivers as they climb up the Astronomy Tower, Akaashi leading him by the hand as they come to the balcony where Bokuto had seen Akaashi fall down from. 

"Sorry, I figure you wanted from fresh air," Akaashi is looking quite flushed, curve of his mouth soft as he conjures a pouf and sits on one half. He faces the moon and starts twinkling above.

Bokuto draws out his wand, casting a Warming Charm over them both as he sits down next to him, peeking at his watch. 11:57.

"I didn't peg you to be a rule-breaker."

"That's because the secret is to never get caught. You don't get to be friends with Oikawa Tooru without some sneaking and rule-breaking in school," Akaashi smiles, leaning back and watching skies, "Thank you for dancing with me tonight."

11:58. Bokuto's throat clicks, he forces his knee to stop bouncing up and down. He feels happy, nervous and upset all at once, bracing himself to be flung back to his dorm room, "I guess I have Oikawa to thank."

"Yes it's very funny. Iwaizumi was literally under his nose but he's never lifts his head up long enough to gaze at his surroundings," Their fingers seek out each other, knotting. The Beauxbaton Carriage glows faintly below them, all windows dark save for the sconce outside the door.

"What do you think they're doing right now?"

"Debauchery."

Bokuto laughs.

"I shouldn't keep you," Akaashi gets to his feet reluctantly, "I know you have a game tomorrow," He peers down at his watch, "Or, in a few hours actually."

"A few hours?"

Akaashi shows him his watch. It's 00:00.

Bokuto can't help it. He envelops him in a big hug, squeezing the thin frame before releasing Akaashi and snapping to his feet, "Oh um, sorry, I was just so relieved."

"Relieved?" Akaashi parrots.

"Don't mind me!" Bokuto leads them down the Astronomy Tower's spiraling staircase until they get to the bottom, bouncing down the stairs like James had flounced towards the Great Hall some mornings ago. "Thanks for the dance tonight."

"No, thank _you_ , I had a better time than I expected. Have a good sleep, Bokuto, I'll see you at the match tomorrow."

"You'll come?" Bokuto perks up.

"I play Seeker but I want to learn a few tricks for our upcoming scrimmage," Akaashi grins, taking Bokuto's hand in his and bending down in a proper bow, eyelashes long in the weak light as Bokuto's heart pounds. His lips brushes Bokuto's knuckles, "Good night."

"Good night," Bokuto echoes, watching Akaashi slip out of the door.

He quickly climbs the staircase to Gryffindor Tower, too gleeful to properly fall asleep, but it's fine, it's worth it to save both of them.

**Author's Note:**

> i had to contain myself from writing another additional 30k worth of scenes that include the first task, the oikawa and akaashi family's history, the secret behind what happened after bokuto completed sixth year + his mom + ability to occlude, kuroo's inborn ability as a pretty powerful legilimens, the other members of the gryffindor quidditch team, kuroo's and bokuto's early childhood, and kuroo's past for peeves to say "disappointing the school yet again?"
> 
> edit 02/22/2020: alright, i caved, im continuing this AU. i'm going to try to write all of the plot first (because i know i have a habit of abandoning fics when life gets too hectic -side eyes the tokyo ghoul au- and it won't be fair to you readers). it'll be called The Boy and the Birdcage.


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